According to some data as many as 180 Croatian citizens leave Croatia on a daily basis in search of better work opportunities. Government says the solution is continued education and wage growth.

Speaking after the conference Labour and Pension System Minister Marko Pavić said that Croatia needs to work on improving the skill set of its labour force. "I can say that in the coming financial period we're going to invest funds we currently spend on the unemployed, 4.5 billion Kuna, into training so as to increase productivity, so as to ensure the increased competitiveness of the Croatia economy." Pavić said.

And while employers agree with this assessment and support the government’s efforts in these areas, they still believe that Croatia will be forced to import skilled workers.

Meanwhile, the U4HR human resources networking association feels that part of the solution lies in providing the right stimulus. "In order for people to stay, we need to give them a reason to stay, because if we don't do that, someone else will give them a reason to leave," said Hrvojka Kutle from the U4HR association.